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Wink

In 1926 wildcatters discovered oil near here, and ranchland turned into a boomtown almost overnight. Wink was a stable oil town by 1946 when a young musical prodigy named Roy Orbison moved to town with his family. His dad got a job in the oilfield, and Roy furthered his singing and songwriting talents in a country band called the Wink Westerners. Orbison went on to become a Nashville songwriting sensation, rockabilly star and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Fans from across the world come to Wink to view his photos, recordings and memorabilia at the small Roy Orbison Museum (open by appointment). Wink also hosts the Roy Orbison Festival each June, complete with Orbison tribute artists. Orbison’s childhood homesite boasts a state historical marker chronicling his rise to fame. Across the street sits a former hospital that now houses the Winkler County Historical Museum. Panoramic photographs recall the oil boom era when Wink was the “largest town ever built in two years.” Wink also boasts the 1920s Rig Theater, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, where Orbison and the Wink Westerners once performed.